Opportunities

Grant Writing Tools for Institutes of Higher Education (Specifically HBCU, TCCU, and MSIs)

Resources to assist with Grant writing:

    Early Childhood Personnel Center (ECPC) Developed Resources

    The intended use of the ECPC Curriculum Planning Tool is to provide higher education faculty a tool to develop initial Early Intervention/Early Childhood Special Education (EI/ECSE) programs and blended Early Childhood Education (ECE) and ECSE programs aligned with personnel preparation standards and recommended practices and to ensure that the standards and recommended practices are embedded within and throughout the curriculum. The development of the ECPC curriculum planning tool was driven by the EI/ECSE Practice-based Professional Preparation Standards aligned with the DEC Recommended Practices (RPs) (2014). You will find each EI/ECSE Standard as a separate tab on the tool.  This is a downloadable Excel file and should be personalized to meet the needs of your EI/ECSE or blended ECE/ECSE program. The tabs represent Standards in early childhood special education and are not intended to represent single courses within an EI/ECSE program.

     An enhanced version that includes alignment of the EI/ECSE Standards, ECE Competencies, DEC Recommended Practices, ECPC Cross-Disciplinary Competencies/Indicators, Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation Competencies (IECMHC), and Zero To Three Competencies.

    Representatives from each of the seven professional organizations reviewed the competency areas and sub-areas and presented these core competency areas for approval to each of their respective organizations. American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA); the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA); the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA); the Council of Exceptional Children (CEC) and the Division of Early Childhood (DEC), the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC); and ZERO TO THREE.

    Crosswalk of the Initial Practice-Based Professional Preparation Standards EI/ECSE (2020) and the DEC Recommended Practices (2014)

    Crosswalk of the Initial Practice-Based Professional Preparation Standards EI/ECSE (2020) and the Professional Standards and Competencies for ECE (2020)

    AACTE HOLMES Scholars – Applications Open for 2024-2025 academic year

    AACTE Holmes Program Partners with Early Childhood Intervention Personnel Center for Equity. Image of young children behind the text.

    ECiPC-E and Holmes Overview PPT

    AACTE is partnering with the Early Childhood Intervention Personnel Center on Equity (ECIPC-E), to recruit into the Holmes Scholar Program.

    More early childhood leaders and practitioners with the requisite skills and knowledge are required to meet the needs of children aged birth – 5 years old.  As a 5-year sub-awardee, AACTE will be directly addressing this issue, in part, by providing targeted mentorship, professional development, and financial support to doctoral students of color pursuing a Ph.D. or an Ed.D. in early childhood and early childhood special education.  AACTE will recruit a cohort of twelve Holmes Scholars pursuing doctorates in early childhood and early childhood special education.  If you are an active Holmes Scholar in a special education and/or early childhood education program, this cohort might be right for you! 

    We encourage you to review ECIPC-E and Holmes Partnership FAQ before filling out the Application for Holmes Scholars. 

    If you have questions about the application, please contact Nicole Dunn at ndunn@aacte.org.

    In addition to supporting their scholarship and professional development as emerging experts and leaders in the field, this partnership will produce a report that examines the national landscape of early childhood and special education degree programs and graduates. The report will analyze trends in the number of programs and graduates within early childhood and special education and compare them to the demand for professionals that can provide these services. To meet demand, it is imperative that policies and systems be in place to sustain efforts to recruit and retain these professionals, which is why the report will also include a special analysis of states that have legislated funding for early childhood special education services and have implemented successful models to attract, prepare and retain early childhood and early childhood special education personnel.   

    2024/2025 ECI LEND Equity Scholars – Applications Open

    The ECiPC-Equity is recruiting the second cohort of 10-15 LEND trainees to become the 2024-2025  ECI LEND Equity Scholars.

    To ensure diverse representation across all LEND programs, we can only accept one trainee per LEND program. Trainees applying for this opportunity must have the support of their current LEND Director and/or Director of Training.

    ECI LEND Equity Scholars Flyer Cohort 2

    ECI LEND Equity Scholars Frequently Asked Questions

    ECI Lend Equity Scholars will:

    • Develop a shared understanding of equity and its role in ensuring that all eligible children and families have access to appropriate and high-quality early childhood intervention supports and services;
    • Expand their knowledge about equity in the field of early childhood intervention;
    • Design, implement, and present a capstone project on a topic of their choice related to:
      (1) equity, and (2) the early childhood intervention system.
    • Receive a stipend for full participation in the 9-month cohort – September 2024 through June 2025.

    Participation Requirements:

    • Attend (2) meetings in person in Connecticut* (October 2024 and June 2025)
      • Launch Meeting (October 7 – 8th, 2024)
      • Capstone Presentations (June 2025)
    • Participate in (7) virtual, monthly, 90-minute Community of Practice (CoP) meetings
    • Participate in technical assistance sessions as needed (times will vary)
    • Design and implement a capstone project
      • Develop and implement an action plan for the Capstone Project
      • Monthly check-ins for trainee support and routine progress monitoring
    • Complete all electronic program evaluation surveys

    *Transportation and overnight accommodations for those accepted into the cohort will be provided to attend the workshop in Connecticut.

        For further information please contact Darla Gundler, Associate Director at Gundler@uchc.edu